Storage systems to export onto the WA grid

WA Minister for Energy Mike Nahan has announced that storage systems will be allowed to export unused electricity onto the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) — an electricity network consisting of about 88,000 km of powerlines — as of 1 December 2015.

The development has been made possible thanks to a historic agreement between state government-owned entities Synergy and Western Power, who will officially sign off on a non-reference service to enable the change.

Until now, storage systems have been unable to export electricity onto the SWIS. According to Dr Nahan, “It has been a significant inconsistency that eligible customers were able to export electricity onto the SWIS from residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, but were not able to do so from a battery or electric vehicle storage facility.

“I am pleased that Synergy and Western Power have reacted quickly to developing a non-reference service that can amend the anomaly without requiring the regulator to amend the network access arrangement.

“This arrangement now means eligible customers can install battery storage or EV facilities to complement their solar PV systems and export unused electricity onto the network.”

Synergy and Western Power are currently involved in new energy technology trials that partner renewable energy and storage. Dr Nahan says these trials are part of an emerging trend that will see the widespread installation of solar PV plus storage systems.